The present study was conducted to quantify the suitability of super absorbent polymer as a growth enhancer in forest container seedlings. Effect of super absorbent polymer coapplied with or without fertilizer on the growth and physiological characteristics of Fraxinus chinensis Roxb was studied using cultivation shaping technique， under the equal moisture content. Results showed that super absorbent polymer coapplied with fertilizer increased photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content to some extent. Super absorbent polymer applied alone had no influence on photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content， but it was beneficial to improve the root activity. Seedling height and caliper accumulation of F. chinensis Roxb could be well described by Logistic equation with different feature in different treatments. Super absorbent polymer coapplied with fertilizer delayed the terminal time and extended the quick accumulation time. Additionally， the maximum daily accumulation of seedling height and caliper was increased to some extent. Without fertilizer， super absorbent polymer in cultivation shaping media had no significant influence on Logistic equation features. Peat compound media was suitable for the survival and growth of seedlings ， and the survival rate of F. chinensis Roxb seedlings in container was 100 ％. Besides， super absorbent polymer coapplied with fertilizer increased the seedling height， caliper， aerial part dry weight and root dry weight by 15.92 ％, 13.14 ％, 6.16 ％ and 15.71 ％， respectively. However， without fertilizer， super absorbent polymer in cultivation shaping media had no effect on seedling height， caliper and shoot dry weight of F. chinensis Roxb， but root dry weigh was increased by 10.29 ％. Hence， super absorbent polymer could improve the physiological characteristics， as well as the growth and dry matter accumulation of F. chinensis container seedlings.